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Somewhere Down In Texas

Somewhere Down In Texas — Prologue

January 19, 2013 14 Comments

This is a prologue to my third book, “Somewhere Down In Texas.”  The following is a first draft and hasn’t been edited, so please ignore any mistakes.

*****

My graduation dinner with my granny ended early so I decided to surprise my boyfriend, Clay, at his house.  His parents were out of town and we were planning on spending the night in each other’s arms.  We had made love only a few times, but we had never just spent the night with each other.

His Chevrolet truck was in the driveway and I smiled, remembering all the fun and memorable times we shared in that old beat up thing.  After checking myself in the mirror and adding some lip gloss, I got out of my car, quietly closing the door on my new BMW convertible and walked up to the porch.  When I reached the knob, I slowly twisted it, opening the Dennis’ home.  They never locked their doors.  Hell, nobody did, in Amarillo, Texas.

When I didn’t see him watching the blaring television in the family room, I tiptoed into the kitchen.  There was no sight of him.  He must be in the bedroom, waiting for me, I thought, as I felt heat rush to my cheeks.  I walked down the dark hallway that was covered with pictures of Clay and his younger sister, Caroline.  His door was cracked, so I pushed it open.  What I saw was horrifying!  My high school sweetheart and my worst enemy, Lila, were in bed together.  The door banged against the wall, startling them, as they both jumped and faced me.  To my surprise, Clay just sat there, as Lila covered herself up with Clay’s sheets — the same light green sheets that I had been tangled up in after a passionate lovemaking session with “Amarillo’s Sexiest Cowboy,” quoting the magazine cover of The Amarillo Man.

“Addie!” Clay said, finally jumping out of bed and putting on his jeans.  “This isn’t what it looks like,” he said as he stumbled his way across the room towards me.

My eyes were filled with tears and I could barely speak.  “What…what is this?”  I looked at him and then at Lila, who looked pleased with herself for causing trouble.  I just stood there and glared at them, not knowing what to do or say.

When Clay tried to reach for me and try to explain, I wouldn’t let him.  “Don’t you touch me,” I said firmly.  “It’s over,” and walked out of his house, as he chased behind me.

“She means nothing to me, love.  It’s you I want.”  He pulled my arm and turned me around to face him.  “It was a mistake.  Baby, please forgive me.”  His eyes squinted together and the fear of losing me covered his face.  “I need you, Adalina, I love you.  Please, don’t leave me.”  His voice sounded desperate.

I ignored his puppy dog look, the one I never could resist.  “I hope Lila was worth it,” I said in a cold tone.  I pressed the key remote to unlock my door, got in my car and sped away.  I didn’t bother to look in my rearview mirror, or to the life that with him that we had planned.

Filed Under: Isabella Tagged With: Books, Country romance, Prologue, Somewhere Down In Texas

Here’s A Teaser: Chapter 1

March 29, 2012 1 Comment

It brings me great pleasure in posting this blog post.  It’s one that I didn’t think that I’d put up, but after a lot of positive feedback and encouragement from family and friends, here goes!  I’ve decided to share a small part of the first chapter for my current WIP, Somewhere Down In Texas.  Please keep in mind that this is an unedited piece.  If you’d please leave a comment after reading telling me what you think, I’d really appreciate it.  Thanks in advance! xoxo

CHAPTER 1

My graduation dinner with my granny ended early so I decided to surprise my boyfriend, Clay, at his house.  His parents were out of town, and for the first time, we were planning on spending the night with each.  We had made love only a few times, but we’d never known what it was like to spend the night with each other.

I smiled when I saw his black Chevrolet truck was in the driveway. We had shared so many fun and memorable times in that old beat up thing.  After glancing at myself in the mirror I added some lip-gloss, then quietly got out of my car and closed the door on my new BMW convertible.  I walked up to the porch, and slowly twisted the knob on the front door.  Nobody in Amarillo, Texas, left their doors locked, and the Dennis family was no exception.

When I didn’t see him watching the blaring TV in the family room I thought was probably in the kitchen, so I tiptoed my way around the corner.  Again, there was no sight of him.  He must be in the bedroom, waiting for me, I thought.  Just thinking of being with him turned my cheeks pink.  I quietly made my way down the dark hallway that was covered with pictures of Clay and his younger sister, Caroline.  The door to his room was cracked.  When I pushed it open, what I saw horrified me.  My high school sweetheart and Lila-my worst enemy-and Clay were in bed together.  The door banged against the wall, startling them, and they turned to face me.  Lila rapidly pulled away from him and covered herself up with his sheets-the same light green sheets that I had been tangled up in after a passionate lovemaking session with “Amarillo’s Sexiest Cowboy,” quoting the magazine cover of the local magazine, The Amarillo Man.

“Addie!” Clay said, as he instantly jumped out of the bed, stumbling to put on jeans.  “This isn’t what it looks like,” he said.

My eyes were filled with tears and I could barely speak.  Finally, I managed to say, “What…what is this?”  I looked at him and then at Lila, who sat on his bed looking pleased for causing trouble.  I glared at her and it took everything in me to not run across the room and start a catfight, but I didn’t-my daddy taught me better than that.

Clay tried to reach for me and try to explain, but I pulled away.  “Don’t touch me,” I said firmly.  “It’s over.”  I walked out of his room, down the hall, and out of his house.

“She means nothing to me, love.  It’s you I want.”  He pulled my turning me towards him.  “It was a mistake.  Baby, please forgive me.”  His eyes squinted together and the fear of losing me covered his face.  “I need you, Adalina, I love you.  Please, don’t leave me.”  His voice sounded desperate now.

I ignored his dark puppy dog looking eyes-the expression I never could resist.  “I hope Lila was worth it,” I said, my words icy.  I pressed the key remote to unlock my door, got in my car and closing the door behind me.  I sped away not bothering to look at him in my rearview mirror, or to the life that we had planned.

I blinked my eyes, bringing me back to present day.  I was holding a legal document that I held said that I was now the owner of my daddy’s ranch, in Amarillo, Texas.

“He left it to me?” I asked the man in a dark suit who stood before me, my desk separating us.  I squinted my eyes, confused and began reading the words again.

“If you see,” he said pointing at the document, “Miss Andrews, your father, William Eugene Andrews, left you his ranch after he passed away…”  The Texas lawyer’s voice was slow and mechanical as if what he said was on repeat.

Now that I was a fast-paced New Yorker, I had to interrupt him before I lost my patience at the twangy sound and slow speed of his voice.  I hadn’t heard anyone speak like that in a very long time and I didn’t miss it.  “Please, call me Addie,” I said, quickly.  Crossing my legs and tapping my high-heeled foot nervously against my desk, I flipped through the legal sized papers, all which seemed legit.  I felt the impatient lawyer’s eyes on me, but I continued to look over it once more.

“You are certainly welcome to have your own lawyer look them over if…”

“That won’t be necessary.  Mr…” What was this man’s name?

“Mr. Smith,” he reminded me with a smile.

“Yes, Mr. Smith.  What are my options?”

“The property is yours,” he repeated.  “So, Miss Andr…Addie, you can do what you want with it.”  He tilted his head and took off his king-sized cowboy hat.  “I knew your father for years, and I’d like to think that not only was I his attorney, but that I was his friend too.”  He paused as if he were remembering something, and then continued.  “I know he would want you to take it over, make it your own, and maybe raise your own family there.  He was proud of the property and hoped you would be too.”

I sat back in my seat and looked at Mr. Smith.  He could pass for being in his early sixties, but his tired face and heavy belly aged him into his mid-seventies.  I took a breath and then looked at the clock on my phone.  I had a meeting in ten minutes, and I had to get this over with.  I reached for a black pen and said, “Okay Mr. Smith, I will sign the papers and take over my dad’s ranch.”  My speech was fast as I did my best to quickly end this conversation.  I scribbled my name on four black lines and voila, I was the owner of The Lonely Doe ranch in Amarillo.

“Thank you, Addie.”  He put the legal-sized papers back in an envelope and closed it shut, and stood up.  “I’ll be in touch and if you need anything, please let me know.”  He faintly smiled, “Good day,” and with the tip of his hat he exited my office.

I turned and looked out the window of my high-rise office building that was on the Upper East Side of New York City.  It was complete opposite from the piece of property I had just inherited-the place I tried not to think of, along with the memory of Clayton Dennis in bed with my enemy, Lila Baker.

I was startled when my phone buzzed, then I heard my assistant, Jules, say, “Addie, they are waiting for you in the conference room.”

“I’ll be right there.”  I gathered three folders as I did the best I could not to think of the images of them in his bed-the sheets, and his massive…

“Stop it,” I instructed myself, something that I had trained my brain to do over the past few years.  Clay and Lila finally disappeared from my mind.  I was now ready to have my meeting, and ready to discuss the headlines that would be on the cover of Couple’s Magazine next month and who, along with who would be the “Couple of the Month.”

*****

I’ve been at Couple’s Magazine for a little over six years.  My beginning position was a Copy Editor, and then I moved to Fact Checker, and now I’m Assistant Executive Editor and am in love with my job.

I was the last one to enter the room and I took a seat next to my boss, Diane.

“Nice of you to join us,” she said with a smirk, not bothering to look up from her folder.  Her reading glasses sat low in her nose, looking almost as if they were going to fall off at any minute, but with a nudge of her slender index finger she pushed them closer her face.  Diane was in her early fifties and her delicate and motherly face showed no signs of aging whatsoever.  Her auburn hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail.  She put her pen down and that’s when she looked at me.  “How’s your morning going?” she smiled.

I looked around the room observing my coworkers who sitting around the long conference table as they talked amongst themselves, and then looked at Diane.  “Just fine,” I replied, pushing back thoughts of Clay that were beginning to come up.

She tilted her head and then said, “Good.”

Did she know anything about why Mr. Smith was in my office?  I looked at her and before I knew it, she was speaking to the group.

“Okay, everyone, let’s start,” as she tapped her pen on the wooden table.  Almost immediately everyone halted speaking and the room was silent.  Diane looked to Hannah who was a contributing writer, and also my best friend, and asked, “How many couples have entered the Couple of the Month contest?”

Hannah smiled and then opened her folder.  “Well, forty-eight of them, but I looked them over, and I think that only three of them are worthy for the article.”  She smiled at me, then took a sip of her coffee, one of the two which sat in front of her, a coffee addict.

Diane nodded and then turned to Robert who was also a contributing writer to the magazine, “What have you come up with?” she asked.

“Well, I think I have an idea.  Beau and I were driving through Texas and there were a lot of attractive cowboys,” he began, as he looked around the room eying us all for a response.  When none of us said anything he continued, “Women like cowboys, right?”  He paused again and then nearly all the women in the room, even Diane, nodded.  “I was thinking about maybe doing a piece on cowboys.  Maybe something like the Dr. Pepper commercials, from back in the day.  It would appeal to all aged women,” he nodded towards Diane in a joking way, and everyone laughed.  “What do you think?”  Robert had been with the magazine for about a year and every week he seemed to have fascinating ideas for the magazine.  Over the past few months, he and I’ve grown close.  On occasion, I would join him and his boyfriend, Beau, of two years, for dinner.  Sometimes even Hannah would join us.

Cowboys, really?  Thought of Clay drifted back to the first time I met him.  It had been the beginning of the summer before I was going to be a sophomore in high school and my dad was teaching me how to bail hay, which was the last thing I want to do.  When Poncho Juarez, the foreman drove up to talk to my dad, he introduced me to Clayton Dennis, the new worker who was going to help out on the ranch during the weekends.

“Hi,” I smiled brightly as I twisted my hair with my finger trying to flirt with him.

Clayton raised his chin and reached out his hand.  “Call me Clay.”  He clasped our hands together, but there were no fireworks.

“Hi, Clay.”  I observed his clothes, broken in work boots, tighter than tight jeans, and a light blue pearl snap shirt.  He looked to be nearly a man, and there I stood in my brown cowboy boots, jean cutoffs, and a white T-shirt.

Daddy, Poncho, and Clay talked for a bit, then they got back in the truck.

“It was good to meet you, Addie,” he hollered over Pancho, and they began to drive away.  When Poncho drove away, Clay held his gaze with mine in his passenger side mirror until we couldn’t see each other anymore.  It was something in that moment that changed my mind about the rugged cowboy.

A few weeks later Daddy hired Clay to work full-time because he was such an “important asset to the ranch,” as he put it.  During that unforgettable summer, Clay and I were inseparable.  I helped Clay with his chores on the ranch and to my dad’s surprise, he saw me flourish at becoming the “country girl,” as he knew I was meant to be.

The night before I school, Clay and I made love overlooking the favorite pond on the ranch in the bed of his truck.  It wasn’t his first time he’d ever been with anyone and for that I was a little intimated and nervous, but he made my first sexual experience everything I imagined and hoped it would be-he was gentle, loving, and sensual.  He hadn’t forced me to do anything that I didn’t feel comfortable with however, once we got started I became the aggressor that night.  I had wanted him and needed to be with him, and I ached to be without him.  When Clay dropped me off at home that night he kissed me and then said, “I’ll love you forever, my Addie.”

Though I knew it was cheesy, I replied the best way I knew how, mainly from sneaking my mom’s Nora Roberts’ novels into my room at night.  “Always and forever.”

“Addie?  Addie?” Diane said as she brought me back to the present day.  “Didn’t you grow up in Texas?” Diane asked confirming what she already knew.

I nodded, “Yes, but…”

She cut me off and said, “Okay, then it’s settled, you’ll be going to your hometown to get a piece of a real life Cowboy.”  Diane tilted her head down and pushed up her sleeves, then scribbled something down on her notepad.

“But I-I’m not a writer.”  I tried to defend myself in front of everyone in the conference room, but didn’t quite know what to say.  “Diane, really I can’t…”

She took her glasses off and looked at me, a full smile on her face.  “Yes you are.  You’re the perfect one for the job.  The rest of us are from the north,” she said, her eyes scanning the room.

I looked at her, and once we both knew that I’d be going, I sighed.  “Okay, I’ll do it,” I nodded.

“I promise, it’ll be worth it.  Have fun in Texas.”  She turned her attention to Robert, “Great job on finding that piece.  I think it will be just what our readers will want.”

TO BE CONTINUED…(MAYBE!)

Filed Under: Isabella Tagged With: Book preview, Books, Chapter 1, Chick-Lit, Cowboys, Cowboys in Chick Lit, Critique, Current WIP, Editing, Isabella, Publishing, Random, Romance Books, Self-publishing, Somewhere Down In Texas, Unedited, WIP, Writing

George Strait Songs That Have Inspired My Next Book

March 28, 2012 4 Comments

HERE is just a  little part of why I love King George!

While I might live in the city, deep down I’m a country girl and am proud of it!  I’ve never written a complete MS based upon a country girl, so this is a fun challenge.

About fifteen months ago, George’s song, Somewhere Down In Texas, came on and it sparked something my imagination for a book that was based on the song.  Cool, I got this, I thought, but as time has gone by, I find myself using more songs by George, to help create certain scenes in the book.

In alphabetical, but in no particular order for the book, here is the long list of songs I find myself listening to over and over in my head.

Thanks, George, for helping me create my first country girl Chick Lit book:

Amarillo By Morning

Baby’s Gotten Good At Goodbye

Cowboys Like Us

Don’t Tell Me You’re Not In Love

I Ain’t Her Cowboy Anymore

I’d Like To Have That One Back

If I Know Me

Oh, What A Perfect Day

She’ll Leave You With A Smile

Texas

The Man In Love With You

Today My World Slipped Away

What’s Going On In Your World

When Did You Stop Loving Me

You’re Something Special To Me

Filed Under: Isabella Tagged With: Books, Chick-Lit, Country, George Strait, George Strait music, Images, Isabella, Link, Love, Music, Random, Romance Books, Somewhere Down In Texas, Songs, Texas, Writing, Writing help

Finding Out How Much You Love Writing…Once Again!

March 27, 2012 Leave a Comment

I’m still on a high from what happened yesterday.  I wrote, and it felt great-no, it was better than great-it was rejuvenating.  I really haven’t written since November for my NaNoWriMo piece, so it was nice to get back to where I it all started.

Three nights ago I was talking to a writer friend who asked if I had done anything with a project he had read part of.  I told him that I hadn’t picked it up in quite a while (15 months).  It’s funny he mentioned it because the characters, Addie and Clay, had been on my mind for the past couple of weeks-I missed them.  Well, yesterday morning I got a Tweet from a friend of mine who encouraged me to write!  Since I had worked a lot on what I needed to get done during the weekend, I decided that there was no time like the present.

After sending out a few emails for a guest review that’s coming up, I was ready.  I decided to read the whole thing over to refresh my memory.  There were only 35 pages, but I felt it was important.  I edited the whole way through, and finally at ten thirty last night, I started writing, and didn’t want to stop.  I was exhausted, so I decided to try to go to sleep, but that didn’t happen because my mind was racing with ideas for my MS.  With the hubby sleeping, I got my laptop and continued to write until 3 o’clock in the morning, but I didn’t want to.  I’ve heard the same advice from some authors, “stop writing when you don’t want to,” or “when you’re at a peak point.”  Normally, I would find this difficult, but I decided to give it a try, and I’m glad I did.  When I woke up this morning, that “peak” point was the first thing I thought about!  It’s for this, that I look forward to doing some serious writing today!

Have a great day!

Filed Under: Isabella Tagged With: Books, Chick-Lit, Editing, Isabella, National Novel Writing Month, Random, Romance Books, Somewhere Down In Texas, Writing

Yay!

January 25, 2012 4 Comments

Look what I just got in the mail!

Today I got my Certificate in Fiction from Gotham Writers’ Workshop!

It’s because of these classes that I kept on writing which got me to where I am today, so thank you GWW!

Filed Under: Isabella Tagged With: Books, Chick-Lit, GWW, Images, Isabella, Link, National Novel Writing Month, Publishing, Random, Redefined Dreams, Romance Books, Somewhere Down In Texas, Writing

It’s That Time Again

September 26, 2011 2 Comments

In just over a month National Novel Writing Month starts and I’m ready…I think!  While I was interested in it last year, I was more focused on finishing my first book.  Since I finished it in March and am in the editing process, I’m itching to get back to writing!  While some of you know I have started writing another book “Somewhere Down In Texas,” I have another story that I want to write even more.  That’s why I plan on participating in NaNoWriMo in November, 100%!  I’m very excited about it because it serve me new challenges!  In the beginning of October I will be taking a six-week Memoir class from Gotham Writers’ Workshop.  A week later starts my Mystery class also to be taken from GWW, though this course is ten weeks.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m horribly nervous and anxious about these challenges, but I’m also very excited!  I can’t remember when I’ve had so much going on at one time!  (Not to forget that birthdays, a girl weekend and Thanksgiving will be somewhere in between…imagine me pulling my hair out right now).

I hope to get through this with flying colors thanks to green tea, visits to the library, support from friends and family and of course wine!  Please know that if you don’t see me blogging as much don’t worry, I will be back once November is over with.

So, who’s going to join me during the National Novel Writing Month?

Filed Under: Isabella Tagged With: Books, Chick-Lit, Green tea, GWW, Isabella, Link, Mystery, Mystery books, National Novel Writing Month, Random, Redefined Dreams, Somewhere Down In Texas

It’s Fun Friday

August 26, 2011 6 Comments

Instead of my typical Fun Friday blog I’ve decided to write about something that is fun to me — writing my second book!

Since I’ve been editing and am feeling comfortable with the work I’m doing, I decided that it’s time to pick up with the characters in my second book, Somewhere Down In Texas.  Earlier this week I read through what I had written in December and was pleasantly surprised that there were only a few changes that I wanted to make.  Once I got to a point where I could begin writing again I felt rejuvenated and refreshed.  It was a new beginning, and my characters are coming alive and the storyline is coming together beautifully!

Since writing my first book I’ve learned a lot about writing, the (sometimes) grueling process of sitting at the computer and forming words into sentences, but of all the things I’ve learned, I’ve learned the most about myself and who I am.  I am a writer and there’s nothing that I’d rather be.

Filed Under: Fun Friday, Isabella Tagged With: Chick-Lit, Editing, Isabella, Random, Redefined Dreams, Somewhere Down In Texas, Writing

Today Was Inspiring

August 23, 2011 6 Comments

Like the title of this blog today was inspiring!  Last night I sent the beginning of my second book “Somewhere Down In Texas” to my writer friend Wade.  I loved what he had to say about what I had written so far and it made my day and night!  With his comments, questions and ideas, he  made me think about the direction I was headed with certain characters and thank goodness for him, they have been saved.  Okay, maybe they haven’t been really “saved,” but they have been reconstructed and certain important parts have formed deeper and come together, which have helped the reader understand a little bit more.

I strongly encourage my writer friends to find other writer friends to talk and communicate about your work in progress.  There is nothing better than to have your (best) friend read you work and give you his/her honest opinion.  I loved how Wade asked me question and had question about my story.  Those questions made me think, and they made me a better writer!

I also encourage you to email or give your story to each and every one of your friends.  It’s best to pick who you give your book to and it’s okay to be picky — you want the comments you hear back to be both, positive and negative.  I also recommend starting or joining a writing group.  Don’t be bashful (like I was), it’s okay to share you success with your non-writer friends too!  They have their own lives, right?  Well, can’t you write characters like them too?

Again, I thank Wade, and my writing friends, for being such a supporter of my writing.  I couldn’t do it without you!

Filed Under: Isabella, Wade McDonald Tagged With: Isabella, Random, Romance Books, Somewhere Down In Texas, Writing

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